The opening round of the Gagarin Cup was staged in St. Petersburg, drawing a record crowd for a Kontinental Hockey League indoor game. The match featured SKA St. Petersburg facing Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo in a high-stakes playoff setting. A total of 23,996 fans filled the arena, pushing the indoor attendance record for the KHL and underscoring the playoff fever gripping Russian hockey this season. The moment was captured as a pivotal championship moment, signaling a dramatic start to the series.
Through two periods, Torpedo held a narrow edge, leading 2-1. The series standings were switched to Torpedo holding a 1-0 advantage after this bout, setting the tone for a competitive best-of-seven clash as teams prepared for the next game with tactical adjustments and renewed intensity.
In the March 1 meeting in St. Petersburg, the home team SKA fell to Torpedo with a 2-5 tally. Torpedo seized control early, building a 2-0 lead by the eighth minute. Both sides then traded goals for a stretch, but the decisive moment arrived when the visitors exploited a temporary lapse in SKA’s defense and goalie coverage, extending their lead. The visiting squad added another score late, squeezing out a cushion that proved insurmountable for SKA as the clock wound down.
During the second period, a notable incident occurred near the boards as Torpedo defenseman Konyushkov delivered a sweep against SKA forward Rendulic in a heated moment along the edge. Rendulic was escorted to the locker room, while the referee did not award a minor penalty to Konyushkov, a decision that would fuel postgame discussions among fans and analysts about the interplay of momentum, penalties, and game control.
Meanwhile, the contest left physical marks beyond the scoreline, as a former SKA player sustained multiple fractures during the action. The collision and ensuing contact underscored the demanding nature of playoff hockey and the high stakes carried by every shift on the ice. Torpedo, maintaining pressure, demonstrated discipline and efficiency, ultimately securing the win while SKA assessed the toll of the matchup and prepared for the next chapter of the series.